File Unknown
by xXfancyfox23Xx
Summary: In a world damaged by past mistakes and devastating war, society has not only developed but also regressed. The societal concepts of today are far in the past, and the definition of what it means to be human has changed. Watch our Naruto as he comes to terms with himself, and makes choices that no human would have been capable of in our time.
1. Prologue

After clearing his throat the professor began.

"I am sure, no, I HOPE that you are all aware of the exam tomorrow", he projected loudly to the crowd of students. He took note of the few with their upper bodies sprawled on the small desks in front of them, fast asleep.

Striding quickly between two lanes of desks, the professor smacked a young boy upside the head, effectively startling him awake. The boy was not more than 12, but was sitting in a class of those at least six years his senior.

"Mr. Hatake", he said calmly as the boy rubbed his head. "Please remind the class the exact date that WWIII began".

As he made his way back to the pedestal at the front, he boy replied with a frustrated sigh. "2047, sir".

"Correct. What caused the war?"

Hatake sat up higher in his chair, trying to wake himself up for the long run of questions he knew was coming. You would have thought by now, at the end of the year, Professor Ingrid would know he was capable of answering every single question thrown his way.

"The experimental bomb launched by the Americans, which effectively turned London into a pile of rubbish".

"Correct. What happened next?"

"The consequences of that new technology was not only the physical damage and lives lost, but also what it did to life surrounding the destroyed area. Humans began to either die horrible deaths or morph into something that was foreign to them. They gained abilities they did not understand, and research suddenly took priority over making the Americans take responsibility."

"But London and the era around the city were not the only areas affected - "

"Correct professor" he said with a smirk. "The chemicals traveled through the air, through water, and did not dissipate over time. It spread across the planet in as little as a week. The whole world got stronger, and then everyone wanted to prove they were better".

"A grim past, that has led to our present" Ingrid nodded. He turned to the large monitor behind him and pulled up two maps, side-by-side.

Professor Ingrid continued the lesson without bothering the student for some time, which let Kakashi Hatake relax in his seat. He hated speaking in front of the class, even though he knew he was right. There was never a question of that fact.

The professor made sure to go over key points, a nice review for the exam that was almost upon them. The one that would determine if he was fit enough to have the future he desired.

Ingrid reminded them of the tragedy their ancestors lived through. The incredible geological changes Earth experienced in such a short time. Kakashi looked at the two maps, they compared Earth from 2048 to today. They looked like two different worlds. They were.

"With so much power at their disposal, our ancestors began the most cruel experiments on their own, in attempt to create something strong enough to finally win the war. However, the process and results of said experiments doubled, if not tripled the head count" his said grimly.

A young woman spoke, "like, what was the deal with the experiment?" Ingrid and Kakashi both gave a mental eye roll at her tone and use of the word "like".

"No one even knows exactly which nations succeeded at the creations, there was so much chaos and the population was disfigured. The product was a human that was stronger and more terrifying than anything we have even experienced in today's age. The beasts couldn't see right from wrong, could not follow orders, they didn't know who they were when they snapped. They barely got them back under control..."

Ingrid looked at his shoes, and realized how worn they looked. Kakashi's voice brought him back to reality.

"Sir, what was the overall death toll?"

Looking at him with a blank expression, Ingird responded.

"Over 90% of the entire population."


	2. Chapter 1 - Uncomfortable

\- 20 YEARS LATER -

The walk to the site was somewhat long, enough to be annoying, and always started long before God or anyone besides a laborer woke. It was freezing, the ground was icy and unstable, and Naruto was not a morning person.

Though he was physically exhausted and his work boots were becoming less than adequate with time, he hurried down the path. He had slept too long. He was late, cold, and annoyed. Pulling his scarf over his nose, he gazed farther down his route and realized just how much of the road was frozen over due to last night's rain, and now the morning frost. His eye twitched slightly at the prospect of slipping and breaking something.

Lorhaven, the village best known for it's bipolar weather conditions, was on an island located smack dab in the middle of the world. Completely isolated, the only way in or out was by ship. The North was consistently warm, the South was bitter cold, the West suffered from endless rain, and the East had been inhabitable for unknown reasons since long before his time. Lucky for the members of Lorhaven, they got to experience all of the possible weather conditions in one day, every day.

However, the insanity was predictable. The mornings were frozen, afternoons were scorching, and at night the rain and lightening seemed endless. There was no warning for when the changed would occur. Suddenly the ice would melt within seconds and you would begin to feel something similar to a sunburn, and then after that the streets would be steaming as the skies opened up and lightening began to threaten the higher buildings. Yet, other than the weather, they were likely the least interesting section of the world and more than likely had won an award for least popular. People only left Lorhaven for supplies. No one ever voluntarily visited, but many left. This was far from a decent vacation spot.

The streets were quiet. Children weren't awake for school yet and their parents were also likely dead to the world. Naruto hated quiet. He preferred noise, or even chaos if he could cause it, but pranks and trouble causing didn't go over well with the boss. So he tried to keep his head down and behave. He tried.

He nodded to the gate keepers as he passed through. Naruto had been working this job since he was probably too little to legally do it. They knew who he was.

Arriving at the site he took in what the others were in the process of working on. Several employees were covered in heavy snow and ice, which never seemed to stop falling. Cutting down giant trees will do that this time of day. When they landed loudly on the forest floor, the height and amount of ice and snow that shot off the ground was startling.

Naruto made his way to the trailer where once inside he put his lunch away and picked up some work gloves. He took the opportunity to warm up for a moment, though he knew it was useless really. As soon as he went back outside he was going to be freezing his ass off again almost immediately.

He stayed for as long as he could, and then began walking through the work site. There were men cutting down huge trees which would build buildings, be sold for firewood, or small pieces would be used to make toys for children. See, a large part of what made this place so unpopular was how far behind they were with technology. This really only applied to the actual living and shopping areas of the village though, because the schools and labs were quite well financed. The priority of the world was not comfortable living, but knowledge and strength. If there was money to be put into something, it did not go to the villagers unless someone was dying. Even then it was debatable.

Naruto walked through the snow over to one of the small covered areas, where his boss currently was going over forms and speaking with other department heads. Likely about things that had nothing to do with the job.

"Where do you want me, perv?" Naruto asked. He saw his boss' shoulders tense at the name and tried not to laugh.

"I WANTED you to be here on time, which I know is a rare thing but a man can dream" he sighed, looking around at different areas of the site for a place to put Naruto.

"Go work with Sasuke, he's sawing wood along with a few others but they're short handed. Progress has been slow this morning."

"Hmmmm. That sounds rather painful, don't you think?" Naruto tapped his forefinger to his chin, then looked at the owner.

"It's TOO EARLY for your crude sense of humor, Uzumaki! Go!" Jiraiya shoved him in the right direction and then turned his back, trying to hide the smile on his face from his employee.

It was around six-thirty now, and it was still pitch black. The sun didn't make its rapid ascend until twelve-fifty seven exactly. That's when the suffering really began for Naruto, because he strongly believed heat was far worse than being cold. His reasoning was that you could always put more layers on to warm up, but you can't take your skin off to cool down.

A large, heavy hand clamped down over his right shoulder, making him jump slightly. He whirled around, ready to deck the guy and make a scene before he realized who it was.

"I've made the decision! I am declaring this LAW!" said a tall young man, with probably the darkest hair on the island.

Naruto laughed, "declaring what law, exactly?". He and the boy continued walking over to the work area he had been headed to.

"You, Naruto Uzumaki, will be taking the exam along with me and my class. End of discussion."

Naruto stopped short, "I've told you a million fucking times, I can't and I have no desire to. He would never let me. Plus, like I've said, he has told me about my heritage. I don't have it in me."

"No but you have it in your heart" the boy said sarcastically as he clasped his hands over his own chest heart.

"You're an ass."

"No, you're an ass! You won't admit to yourself just how much you want to do it. You want to be more than just a laborer for the rest of your life and you know it" the boy said with certainty.

Naruto stared at the boy for a moment before he sighed and looked up at the sky, from which the last few flakes of snow were falling. "Sasuke, I know that you believe what you are saying is true. I know you think "heart" is all it takes, but that isn't realistic. I've spoken to him, I know my bloodline does not carry any chance of me having the same life you and our friends will."

Sasuke's face changed from determined to somber as he listened.

"You are all going to take that test and pass," Naruto continued, "and then you'll be on your way to your new futures at higher levels where things are nicer. Where you will be able to meet up and live with your family members again because you will have passed and gotten out of this place. You'll grow, do life changing things, you'll get to leave the island if you want and maybe you'll decide to never come back."

Naruto then looked him dead in the eye, with no emotion seeming to cloud his thoughts or words.

"You and I both know that even if I did try to take that test, I would die."

Sasuke's stomach filled with sickly anxiety as he watched his best friend's back, walking away with determination to start his work.

Over the years of their friendship, Sasuke had never been sure how much of what he said got through to Naruto. Ever since they played pretend for the first time as kids, and Naruto suggested being Fighters, he begun harassing his friend about joining him at school. In a screaming match about the issue, he learned Naruto only had a Guardian occasionally visiting him, and no family waiting for him in the Upper Level like Sasuke and the others.

So, Sasuke insisted that he could live with him and his family, to which Naruto immediately declined, saying he would be uncomfortable and did not want to impose. Sasuke argued fervently that he knew his family would like him and to let him contact them. Naruto insisted he would just be a hindrance.

When they were a little older, Sasuke revisited the subject. He proceeded to do so weekly, knowing that time was going by too fast. He told Naruto that he would help him train in combat, and he agreed, saying that it was only for the exercise and nothing else. This lit a fire of hope for Sasuke, because once they began he learned how much stronger Naruto was than any other regular member of the Lower Level. He was naturally talented, it was almost like he had been training already. Sasuke knew that if they had gone to school together from the beginning, he would have made him his rival. However, they had only practiced for a few hours before Naruto decided there was no point, that he wasn't good enough physically for the academy or anything else, and walked away.

Sasuke offered to help him study. He brought his books over and offered to come by each day to recount what he had learned in class. Naruto said that his Gaurdian had taught him all he needed and desired to know about the world. Sasuke had no idea how much that was, but the topic was closed.

However, Sasuke stuck to his guns about Naruto's talents on the field. There was an obvious blockage issue between him and obtaining full power, but Naruto had it in him. Sasuke would never let go of the idea that he could just stride in to the exam and pass.

Sasuke never bat an eye when Naruto gave him a reason for why he couldn't. He always came back head strong and ready to come up with solutions. However, he had never considered the possibility of death. In the exam, the match ends either when one becomes incapacitated or just plain dies. Which unfortunately, from what he had learned, was not a rare circumstance.

So for the first time, as he watched Naruto walk away, he didn't have a solution. He did not have a response. He he had nothing to say in return, because the harsh reality was that unless there was something Naruto wasn't telling him, Sasuke realized there was no way his best friend would survive the exam if he tried.

In order to provide his friend with space to cool off, and give himself time to digest his newfound realization, Sasuke decided it was best if he found another job to do at a different section of the site.

The morning continued with lots of work and very little discussion. Naruto had no intention of continuing the conversation, and Sasuke was considering never bringing it up again.

Once twelve-fifty seven came around and they took a break for lunch, the tension seemed to have subsided a little, and both boys fell back into their normal selves. Mostly.

The majority of the laborers were from the Brute class. Their strength was absurd, and extremely useful. For whatever reason, though he lacked the same capabilities, Naruto's Gaurdian had thrown him in head first to the job when he was very young. The man's words rang in his head.

"You need to learn a craft, one that will cause you to grow quickly mentally and physically. I won't have you working at the laundry matt and getting lazy on me."

The owner of the company had immediately taken to Naruto, and Naruto took to him. He was what he guessed would be the grandfather he never had. Though he was constantly acting like a massive perv, Jiraiya was a fantastic teacher. He doubted that without him, Naruto never would have succeeded in ways that he had.

With the snow melted work was easier, but the exhaustion that came with the heat unfortunately caused the crew to slow their pace. Everyone was drinking water quickly, trying to stay hydrated and putting on sunscreen even though it was useless. The sun was unforgiving.

Once the sun set at seven-twelve, everyone headed home. The boys were able to walk back together. Since Naruto had failed to arrive on time that morning, he had missed their usual meet up to walk to work together. They headed to the usual location, a park towards the center of the village, where most people migrated to at the end of the day. People played games in the green field, large families sat at tables talking and grilling food, occasionally small festivals were held. At the end of every work day the boys and their friends simply met up for dinner.

Arriving a little early they chose a large wooden table and sat facing each other. The sun was completely gone, and the park string lights that hung had automatically lit. The intense level of huminity in the air was starting to make their hair frizz.

"I'm sorry about what happening this morning" Sasuke said. It was the first time either of them had mentioned it.

Naruto nodded, "it's not like it was the first time you'd pestered me about it" he joked.

Sasuke put his food down and looked at him sternly. "Man, I'm letting it go. Really."

That's a first, Naruto said to himself, "Really? You're letting it go? In your book what does 'letting it go' mean?"

"It means I am never going to bring it up again!" the boy yelled. He didn't want to keep quiet about the issue, but realizing he had practically been asking his friend to potentially kill himself stopped him in his tracks. "I have to tell you though... The idea of never seeing each other again isn't particurally pleasant for me." Naruto saw a slight tint of pink appear on Sasuke's face. He wasn't one to talk about feelings, and when he did Naruto couldn't help but feel amused by how flustered the guy could get.

Naruto laughed, just don't get too cocky. You're strong, but there's always someone better. If you don't make it out of that match, I'll bring you back to life just to kill you myself. Alright?" he smiled

Smiling back slightly, Sasuke nodded. "I promise, you won't have to bring me back."

To an outsider it may have seemed like the issue had been resolved, but the tension had risen again. A lot of their friendship had been about bickering back and forth regarding Naruto joining him at the academy or at the exam. Now that the topic was banned, neither of them knew how to move forward from the moment. So they sat in silence until the others arrived.

"Hey guys!" two girls yelled in unison. A tall girl, Sakura, and a slightly heavy girl, Ino, sat with them.

"So how was work? It was especially cold this morning, how badly did it suck out there?" Hannah asked. Her voice was peppy, almost annoyingly so. She and Naruto were the loudest and most cheerful of the group. They typically got in fights for no reason and laughed it off later.

Naruto perked up, "It was hell! It was as though no one was willing to actually work today. The snow and ice made it so hard" he whined, pouting his lip a little.

"I expected a more positive reply than that, not complaining. Be a man!" she shot back. Glancing at Sasuke, she showed a hint of worry. It wasn't like Naruto to only talk about the bad aspects of a situation, he was naturally a positive person. so he would also bring up something good along with anything bad. Always. Something was off.

"Yeah," Ino continued, "what's with the depressing vibe guys? Did something happen?" He brushed her long blonde hair aside so she could dig into her food.

"No" they boys said in unison.

"Something DID happen! What?" Sakura asked, resting her chin on her hands. Naruto called it her 'gossip pose'. In terms of poker, he called it her give away for if somethng 'juicy', as she called it, was being spoken of.

"Yo." The final member of the group sat down, Kiba. The shaggy haired boy smiled at his friends but then paused before beginning to eat. "What's happening?" he asked carefully.

"Something big happened at work for Sasuke and Naruto, I know it! Their job is always so quiet, I mean what happens at a construction site, right? Nothing!" Sakura said.

Kiba scrunched up his nose as he opened up is food container, "god it's like you can smell it on them, busybody."

She shot him a quick glare before getting back to her point, again resting her chin on her hands. She leaned in closely, making Sasuke lean back subconsciously. The longer they stalled, the more personal space he would lose.

"Look, nothing happened, okay? It was just a really long day." Sasuke mumbled. He was far from in the mood to relive this morning, especially after mostly settling things.

"Sasuke is officially off my case about joining you guys." Naruto said, as though it was nothing. The group was quiet for a moment. Sakura placed her hands in her lap and avoided eye contact. Naruto simply continued to happily eat his food.

Everyone wanted Naruto to come with them. Sasuke had essentially spoken on their behalf, because if he was going to be convinced by anyone it was Sasuke. The fact that he had finally given up, after several years, was nothing short of a tragedy. It was the final hammer coming down on the situation, proving that there really was no chance of Naruto coming with them to the Upper Level, or even trying to.

"Why?" Ino asked after she swalloed some of her dinner. The others followed along, taking small bites, wanting something to keep them even slightly occupied. The atmosphere's uncomfortable and depression vibe had just had an unwelcome addition, anger. It seemed to all be stemming from one gossip hungry person.

"The reality is that I'm going to die if I take that exam, and that's only if I pass the written part right? I'm not like you guys at all. Sure, according to Sasuke I might be a big more capable than the majority of the people in Lower Level who aren't in the academy, but I know my place. It's here, and the biggest indicator of that is the fact that I have zero doubts about how that match would turn out. Be against an actual Brute? I'm too weak. What about a Shifter? Like I would really be able to tell what was what in a situation like that. An Astral Projectionist? That would fuck with me so badly, I don't know if I'd ever escape whatever mental state they put me into! What about the FTL class? Am I faster than light, guys? Fuck no! None of you are even in the FTL class! How do YOU plan on handling that? I plan to stay the fuck away from all of it because I know I won't -"

Sakura was infuriated. "How DO you know?! You're smart Naruto, but you can't predict the future!" She stood from her seat, slamming her hands on the table and causing it to crack down the middle. Everyone quickly picked up their meals to keep them from falling in the grass. "There is no reason not to try! What are you going to do when we're gone? Stay here, continue working alone as a laborer and die alone too?!"

Everyone's eyes widened, other than Naruto's. He held her gaze, though his stomach was uneasy due to her sudden outburst. It's not like such thoughts hadn't crossed his mind before, but he, nor anyone else had ever said such a thing out loud. It had always been the elephant in the room, and all these years no one had dared to truly acknowledge it. So much so that apparently Sasuke had convinced himself it wasn't a possibility, and basically forgot about it completely. Plus, everyone was aware that if anyone mentioned it and thus reminded him, Sasuke would probably kill them where they stood.

Before anyone could gather themselves from the shock of her words, Sakura snatched her things up, pulled out a flashlight and walked away. It was pitch black out, so it didn't take long for her to vanish from sight. Only then did Kiba speak.

"I'm not happy about you staying here" he began as he slip into the open spot she'd left. "However I repsect your choice. You're your own person, and no one has the right to keep you from what you want." Naruto couldn't tell if he was being genuine, or if he was just saying what was most appropriate for the situation. He knew his friends had been pushing hard for this for a long time, and were extremely hopefull that he'd come with them. This discussion was probably crushing them.

"I second all of that!" Ino said loudly, raising her fork up. "I will miss you though. We will all miss you" she said sadly. Naruto gave her a half hug from the side, feeling guilty. However he didn't plan on dying anytime soon just to dry his friend's tears. Right?

Sasuke said nothing, though the others looked at him expecting a helpful speech. Something in attmept to get Naruto to rethink the situation and make the choice to stick with them no matter what. Maybe something similar to what Sakura said, just a bit more calm and collected as he usually was. However, Naruto knew Sasuke was going to keep to his word of dropping the subject.

"A guy lost two fingers at work today due to the cold" he said instead.

Ino nearly spit her food out, to which Kiba laughed. "That's disgusting! she screamed. A few groups of people looked their way at her outburst.

"Yeah, and we had to dig around and find them in the snow. We were only able to find them because the blood had turned the snow red!" Naruto continued, wiggling his fingers in a creepy crawly manner.

"I'm not listening! Not listening!" Ino shouted with covered ears. Several people shot either confused or irritated glances their way, but they didn't care. The tension had instantly vanished and for that they were extremely thankful.

The rest of their nightly visit went normally, if not better than usual. Naruto almost felt waves of relief with the bearing weight of the choice to stay or go gone. However, as he sat there and listened to his friends laugh and joke, he felt the sting of deep sadness behind his eyes. This would be gone soon. What would he do then?

Unlucky for Naruto, that's exactly what Ino asked.

The three of them sat there quietly waiting for Naruto to speak. He could tell they were on edge, eager for his answer. He knew that even though he was staying behind, and they were likely never going to see each other again, his friends still wanted the best for him.

He chuckled and scrached the back of his head, feeling shy due to their intense stares. "I have absolutely no idea, but definetly not what Sakura said! I am going to be the best laborer I can be! Maybe I'll create my own company or take over the perv's when he's too old, so that should be coming up pretty soon" he laughed.

Kiba laughed, "yeah, good luck with that! You'll have to pry that company from his cold, wrinkly dead hands!"

"You could build yourself a house! You're already skilled enough, you just need the funds, right? If you get that job you'll have plenty to build a huge home for yourself!" Ino smiled. Naruto smiled brightly at his friends, mentally thanking them for their support, even though he knew they were probably struggling to keep up the positive attitudes about the situation.

"And who exactly would he invite over to this huge home?" Sasuke hissed. His question was met with brief silence, and then a quick change of subject by Ino. Naruto was quiet for the remaineder of the meal.

The four of them walked back together, dropping each person to their respective homes as they progressed through the streets. Naruto's place was the farthest from town, almost on the edge, so he had always walked the last part alone. It was the part of town closest to the docks, so he always knew he was close when he began to smell sea water.

Moving with no hurry, he made his way up the stairs to his apartment door. The wind blew harshly, the storms were coming quickly. He immediately felt the weight of his tired legs that adrineline from being with his friends had put off. His exhaustion level was becoming unbearable. Pulling his keys out of his pocket, he opened the first door he came to on the fifth floor.

His apartment was less than average. The combination of his earnings and help from his Guardian just covered the cost of rent and food, along with a few hygenic supplies. The kitchen and living room were connected, essentially one large area. There was a tiny bathroom on the right side of the hall, a closet across from it, and a bedroom at the end. Which he immediately headed for.

Dropping his things carelessly on the floor and getting out of his jacket and work boots, he went and sat on the edge of his bed. It was about to start pouring but he opened his bedroom window anyway. He was expecting a guest. and he wanted to feel the calming breeze.

"What are you going to do when we're gone? Stay here, continue working alone as a laborer and die alone too?!"

There was that sting again. He looked up and blinked quickly to prevent any water from exiting his eyes. The wind helped as well. What were his plans, truly? He didn't want to own a fucking company. He wasn't responsible enough, or even cared about the craft enough to make a living out of it. He knew he would be miserable doing that. So what was he going to make a living out of? Was he going to die alone? He friends were all leaving. Everyone from his general age group were leaving other than those who were not in the academy due to the same reasons as him. He could count those people on one hand, and none of them seemed like they would click well with him.

But if he tried to follow his friends, if he entered that arena, he'd die for sure.

"How DO you know?! You're smart Naruto, but you can't predict the future!"

He went to work in the morning, slaved all day in the various weather conditions, then came home just to eat and rest to do it all again the following day. His friends, his only family, were what made life worth living. They were why he got up in the morning, so he could see them. He had a feeling that once they were gone, he wouldn't have the balls to leave the apartment knowing that no one would be at work to greet him the way Sasuke did.

"And who exactly would he invite over to this huge home?"

Naruto flinched, he was weak. He would die for sure. He was smart, so he wasn't worried about the written part. He knew his history, which meant he knew exactly why he wasn't a good canidate, and that he was going to die. There was nothing special about him, right? He wasn't a Brute like Sasuke and Sakura. He was considered normal, not belonging to any class. He wasn't strong enough to take on the tasks his friends would have to, right?

Naruto's history wasn't clear to him. There were gaps in his knowledge about his family that he had never bothered to fill. because he had no clue who they were and doubted there was anyway for him to find out. He didn't know the sound of their voices, or how it felt to be in their presence. So in his opinion, there had been no reason to seak more information. He knew what he did about himself, and that was all he needed.

What if he didn't know everything about himself, because he had refused, all these years, to push hard enough to find out?

His heart skipped. The idea of things not being what he thought they were his entire life was terrifying. However, when he thought about it hard enough, he realized just how little he knew. He never bothered to ask questions. He was called Naruto, he was told to become a laborer, and from there he became friends with Sasuke and met the others. He knew what he was told, that wasn't much, and he never ventured to find out more. Why was that?

"Because you think you're weak, and being so leaves you in the safe place of Lower Level. Safety seems to be your priority, not adventure and truly bettering yourself. For whatever idiotic fucking reason." a voice said in his head. He didn't know if that was a realization of his own, and maybe having a talking, free thinking conscious in his head was a real thing and not just in stories.

Okay, so what if there was a chance he'd survive that exam because he was more capable than he was told? What if, by chance, he could get out of here? He'd live with Sasuke's family, become stronger, happier, successful. Badass. He suddenlt felt like a child imagining being a superhero.

He heard a thud from the window.

"Uzumaki. Here's rent for this month." An envelope was tossed on the bed. Naruto didn't reply, he was lost in thoughts of being a superhero.

His Guardian was studying him and his odd behavior. Brushing grey hair out of his eyes, he spoke up, "at this point you'd be yelling at me for being late. What the hell is wrong with you, kid?" he said jokingly.

Only looking at the man out of the corner of his eye, Naruto spoke.

"Mr. Hatake, we need to talk."


	3. Chapter 2 - Cases Like Mine

Wind blew through the trees, causing small leaves to loose their grip. The impending storm caused the temperature outside dropped quickly, and rain began to pour harshly on the dirt paths and buildings that made Lorhaven. It was quiet, everyone had made it inside just before the storm began. Kakashi stepped down carefully from the window, shutting it behind him to avoid letting rain into the small bedroom. He found a spot against the wall and slipped his hands into his pockets as he analyzed the situation. The boy hadn't spoken since he made the dramatic statement "we need to talk". Which was probably not a good sign. Kakashi felt the hint of impending doom.

Naruto was thinking carefully. He felt incredibly awkward, because he didn't actually have any specific questions set up to ask. So instead he requested a familiar story.

"Tell me again about the day you found me."

Kakashi sighed and tilted his head back against the wall, "Naruto I'm exhausted and the Upper Level is long way back. I'll also have to travel through these fantastic weather conditions because I was so late getting here today -"

"Not my fault, and you can sleep on the couch tonight and wait out the rain. Please just tell me, one more time?" Naruto pleaded, finally looking at Kakashi and not his bedroom wall.

With slight hesitation, Kakashi walked over to a small desk and picked up the matching wooden chair, placing it in an more appropriate position for conversation. He felt awkward, for he had never spent much time in Naruto's apartment, though he did help the young man pay for it. He never felt the need to stick around too much or pry into Naruto's personal space or life. Not because he didn't care, but because he knew the kid was well taken care of by his friends. His family.

"Well..." Kakashi began. "Just under twenty years ago, I was on a reconnaissance mission in the West. A potential threat had been discovered there, and authorities insisted we check it out as quickly as possible. We were heading back to the boat for Lorhaven when I found you, stranded on the shoreline."

Naruto hummed, thinking over the information and trying to picture it in his mind. "So I was just there, alone, an infant laying in the sand?"

"Sadly, yes. It seemed as though you'd been abandoned. I couldn't just walk by an innocent baby, appearing no more than a week old, and leave it to die. sS I took you to a hospital back to the village in the West. They assessed you, said you were healthy, and I took you back here to Lorhaven." Kakashi started tapping his foot impatiently.

"When a child is born, after making sure they are healthy, they get Stamped right?"

Kakashi nodded.

"That Stamp, it's all blades, and it basically brands you since the scar never heals. It reads your blood instantly, telling you what class you are. What class did the doctors say I was?"

Almost too quickly Kakashi responded, "they said you were from the Brute class, but only Cat. Five, if even. That's why I've always said -"

"There's no point in attempting the exam because I wouldn't likely survive it" Naruto finished. Kakashi nodded.

"Yes, Cat. Five level class members are the weakest, basically civilians. You know this. Now, what's with all the questions?"

Naruto sighed. There was something missing from this whole story. It was too simple, too easy. In a situation with an abandoned child, and even worse a baby, nothing is easily answered. Kakashi's foot caught his attention. Since when was he ever anxious?

With a strange new sense of confidence that he could be getting somewhere, Naruto continued. "Mr. Hatake, you have an impeccable memory. Who administered the test?"

Kakashi seemed startled for a moment before he composed himself, "a doctor of course. The best doctor at the hospital at the time."

"You saw him do it?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, I did." Kakashi nodded.

"You saw the results?"

"Yes." he nodded again.

"What was the doctor's name?"

Kakashi paused for a moment, "what?"

"What was the doctors name? The one who treated me? If he was the best, you surely remember."

"Dr. Fuller."

"Okay, Dr. Fuller. If I were to contact the hospital in the West and ask them if a Dr. Fuller had ever worked with them, would they have him on file, Mr. Hatake?"

He said nothing.

"Would they?" Naruto pressed.

"What is the point of all of these questions, Naruto? You have never once expressed interest in this, you've taken what I've told you and run with it! What has changed? Why isn't that good enough anymore?" At some point Kakashi had risen from his chair and was now pacing around the room, either agitated or anxious. Maybe both.

"Because I want to know!" Naruto yelled, standing up as well. "It never mattered to me before but now my friends, my family, are actually leaving me in just over a month! It was always a future issue that I didn't have to deal with, but now it's here and I'm regretting all of the times I didn't ask! I want to know there truly is no way I could pass that exam. Tell me. Look me in the eye and tell me that I won't pass it, that I'll die if I take it." He was shaking, full of adrenaline from yelling at his Guardian, and because he was terrified of the answer he might get.

Kakashi stopped pacing, "you're a stubborn brat, and I wish I knew who you got it from so I could knock their teeth out." He huffed and sat back down, crossing his arms.

Lightening struck a nearby tree, lighting the tips of it on fire. The bright shade of red cascaded through out the quiet room. Naruto's heart beat was moving a mile per minute.

"Mr. Hatake..." he said quietly, almost afraid to break the silence, "who preformed the test, and what did it say?"

He took a breath, trying to come to terms with the fact that they were actually having this conversation. "I did. We were trying to leave quickly, we had a strict time schedule and just the simple deviation of taking you to the hospital was putting us behind. So, being medically trained, as all Upper Level agents are, I offered to help speed things up."

Naruto remained quiet, listening carefully.

"While the doctor was getting forms to fill out the results of several tests they'd already done, I did the Stamp Test. The results were nothing too worrisome, so I left. There was no time to stick around and fill out papers. You have to remember Naruto, I was trying to do my job on top of all of this -"

"nothing too worrisome?" Naruto repeated. "If you're going to tell me the truth, don't leave out any details."

Kakashi looked at him, and Naruto couldn't quite tell what the face he was making meant. Kakashi didn't seem angry, his body wasn't tense. He didn't seem sad, he wasn't frowning or teary eyed. He certainly wasn't feeling guilty, because he was making consistent eye contact. The only way Naruto could describe the look on Mr. Hatake's face, would be to say he looked sickly. Grave. His stomach sunk.

"I did this to protect you." Kakashi said simply.

"I don't want protection, I want answers."

"Even if it has the strong potential to completely ruin your life?"

Naruto reasoned that he didn't have anything to lose with his friends leaving, so sure, why not? He nodded.

"The Stamp Test shattered instantly when I did it, and literally disintegrated. As soon as that happened I took off out the window and didn't look back. You're lucky that the doctor wasn't the one who administered that test. You would have been killed without hesitation."

Naruto was trembling again. "If whatever power that was, broke the Stamp because it was so intense, why did you take me with you? Why did you save me from that? Why would to risk carrying such a burden?"

"You were an innocent child." Kakashi explained. "I don't believe in execution, especially for those who don't even have the ability to understand what they are much less keep from shitting themselves yet." Kakashi leaned forward, resting his arms on the back of the chair, "you're still innocent, Naruto. As long as we don't go further into this topic, everything will remain the same."

"Kakshi, tell me. Now." Naruto snapped.

He's certainly grown a pair to be able to talk to me that way, Kakashi thought.

"Remember how I told you about the horrible testing that was done long ago, maybe a decade after the explosions from WWIII occurred? The results of those tests were generations of evolving subjects. Those who failed to meet their goals were killed off, and those who succeeded were forced to breed. Then if their child surpassed them, they'd then become useless and killed off. Eventually they got what they were looking for, a fierce being with immeasurable power, and set it loose on the world in an effort to obtain control. They realized their mistake by letting it run wild, and were only able to get it back under control by using all of the other test subjects against it. It barely worked. This is what caused ninety percent of the population to perish... The records of all the testing are well known, especially by those who are sent to do certain recon missions..."

Naruto's eyes widened, "you were sent on that mission for me?"

"No. We were sent there for who am I assume was your mother. By the time we got there, she was gone, and then there you were on the shore." Kakashi was trying to hard to take emotions out of the situation. Naruto wanted cold facts, and that's what he was going to give him.

"H-how did you know she was there? What happened to her?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

"There was a new recruit that had just passed the exams in the West. She had won against her opponent, but it wasn't an ordinary victory. She completely destroyed her opponent beyond recognition. Killing your opponent in the exam is one thing, but what she did was traumatizing, because even after he was gone, she didn't stop. The administration tried to step in, but they were no match even when working as a unit. They secluded her from the rest of her class after that, holding her captive in a cell underground, which they layered several seals over. We were there to determine how much of a threat she could eventually be to us should she head our way. When we got there, we heard that she had vanished. I assume she escaped, got you, and left you on the shore. It was smart, frankly. We had no way to tell where you came from. However, you had no Stamp mark, which meant no one knew about you and she probably gave birth to you alone. My theory is that she used some type of visual manipulation skill while she was pregnant to avoid those around her finding out, but there's no real way to know. Considering what has been rumored about her abilities, I wouldn't be surprised if she was capable of such a thing."

Naruto's heart was beating so fierce that he thought for sure Mr. Hatake could hear it, but he didn't say anything. He only watched Naruto as he digested all of the heavy information. His mother was a descendant of such a horrible, terrifying series of events. Which means he was a descendant!

"Where is my mother now? Is there any information about her location now?"

Kakashi frowned, "she was found dead, deep in the forest up North. I'm sorry, Naruto."

The boy simply nodded. His mother had tried her best to keep him safe by leaving him behind, only to be killed and left in the woods. He never felt a need to find out more about his family because he didn't care enough, and now for that he felt guilty. That familiar sting in his eyes was returning.

"What about my father?"

"I have absolutely no clue, and I wouldn't even know how to start searching. Considering the fate of your mother, is quite possible he has faced the same situation..."

"So I would survive, if I tried." Naturo said, voice cracking slightly. He needed to change the subject to something he had control over.

Kakashi looked up at him sharply. "The exam you mean? No, Naruto, don't. You would open a floodgate that needs to stay closed. As of right now you are merely an orphan that I discovered and took in. In the eyes of the Upper Level you are a Cat. 5 Brute, not threatening, perfectly weak. The only ones who know otherwise are me, and a trusted doctor from the Upper Level who I frequently contact and give updates to about your health."

"That's why you deliver the money in person, and not by mail?"

"That, and I know you just love to see my smiling face" Kakashi joked.

Naruto smiled, "so what's my deal then? Why haven't I gone crazy like mom did at the exam?"

"My friend, the doctor from Upper Level, put several seals on you over the course of the first few years of your life. Remember all those doctors visits? I think I told you that you had some kind of virus that was highly contagious, which gave me a reason to keep you away from others until we knew the seals would hold. Obviously there haven't been any issues, but now that we have had this discussion, and if you're truly considering the exams..."

"What?" Naruto asked hesitantly. He had no intention of letting anything keep him from moving forward now. He had answers, the truth, and he was going to do everything in his power to stick with his friends. There was nothing for him in Lower Level.

"If you train and try to tap into whatever those seals are suppressing, I have no idea what will happen. You could die instantly, go on a rampage, hell if I know! Don't touch the damn, Naruto. It's holding up just fine but if you put a crack in it by training or concentrating on the concept too hard, your future may be worse than one where you end up staying here in Lower Level alone.

Naruto smiled, "you underestimate me. Nothing keeps me from my goals, so why would this? I'm doing this, Mr. Hatake, and you're one of the best from your generation in combat and stealth. I know I'm like, file unknown or whatever in regards to what Cat and what class I'm considered, but I need your help. Please."

Kakashi sighed. He had no idea what possessed him to help and take care of Naruto, and no idea why he has continued to for almost twenty years now. He knew the kid was special, but he hadn't expected this. He was prepared to help him live a life of peace and comfort, working a simple job and living in a simple home. A simple life. Now, this kid wants to dive head first into something neither of them have any clue about. It would be true trial and error, ad the error part was potential catastrophe and death.

Kakashi smiled, "when was the last time you felt like you couldn't count on me for help?"

"Never!"

"Exactly. Now, this has been a very eventful evening, and I am exhausted. I think I'm going to retire to your couch. Is there a blanket out there?"

Naruto nodded, "there's one folded up on the back of the couch."

Kakashi stood from the chair, placed it back in front of the desk and headed for the door. Once he reached over to close the door behind him Naruto spoke.

"Mr. Hatake... Thank you." He smiled slightly.

He grunted, and closed the door softly behind him. Naruto heard the man's footsteps lead down the hall and into the living room. Only then did he burst into a quiet mess of tears, and only after Kakashi sat on the couch did he put his head in his hands and mutter "fuck."

The fire in the trees continued to burn in spite of the rain, and the thunder seemed louder than ever.


	4. Chapter 3 - Clarity And Confusion

Chapter Three - Clarity And Confusion

Morning had come quickly. After their conversation both Kakashi and Naruto had fallen asleep easily, filled with a strong combination of relief and fear. Relieved for having the truth out, but the future was now completely unpredictable, and that was scary. Dangerous, even.

Naruto was rudely awoken, being jostled around roughly by his shoulders.

"Naruto! God you sleep like a rock... Naruto!" Kakashi said as he continued to shake the boy. His shitty alarm had been going off every five minutes for the last half hour and the man was at the end of his rope.

He had done the best he could to ignore the man, but it was obvious Kakashi wasn't going to give up. Irritated he snapped, "I'm up, dammit!" Naruto threw himself out of bed and stalked out his bedroom door, rubbing his eyes.

"Someone's not a morning person." Kakashi said as he followed leisurely to the kitchen, hands in his pockets.

"No shit." Naruto made a small breakfast which consisted of stale toast and what seemed to be a partly rotten piece of fruit. Kakashi scrunched up his nose at the sight.

"What are your plans, Naruto?" he asked when he found a spot against the wall.

As he continued eating, Naruto sat down on the couch. "Plans for what? My seemly horrendous future of either spending my life here, or dying at the exam? Maybe killing someone with this crazy, makes-no-sense power I've got going on? That's not a simple question to answer, Mr. Hatake. Especially this early in the morning." The boy yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth, and continued with his breakfast.

The man nodded and looked outside. Long icicles hung along the hangover above the living room window. The darkness was frightening. Kakashi couldn't remember the last time he had stayed over night in Lower Level. Being here this early in the morning for a reason other than leaving by ship was strange. Everything about the place was different from Upper Level. Here only the bare minimum was available. For example, he had a streetlight just outside his home. There were several of them lining all walkways throughout the entire place. However in Lower Level, the beacons of light were few and far between. Half of the few that there were didn't even work, or simply flickered on and off. He watched as a few people, with jobs like Naruto, walk with dim flashlights down the icy paths.

"Maybe we should start with a simpler question. Do you intend to follow your friends, knowing what you do now?" he asked, continuing to stare outside.

"How is that question more simple than the other one?!" Naruto yelled. He say back on the couch, now finished with his food and crossed his arms.

"Well, I need to know your answer, and quickly. Your friends take the written exam in less than a month, and then the physical test immediately after. If you want to participate, we need to get a move on."

"Get a move on?" the boy asked, seeming interested and thus calming down to pay attention.

Kakashi sighed, he hadn't ever anticipated having to deal with this situation. He had always maintained a plan of helping Naruto to live a calm, peaceful life in Lower Level. Once Naruto turned eighteen, which was soon, he would move up in his job and be able to afford his apartment on his own. Kakashi would say goodbye, and without Naruto being aware, he would check in occasionally to make sure nothing was going wrong with the seals. He wold treat it like any other recon mission he'd been on. Now, all the information he had tried so desperately to keep quiet all these years was out. The entire situation he had wanted to avoid was likely going to take place. A peaceful future without death, without stress or worry was no longer an option for the boy. The least Kakashi supposed he could do was help in anyway he could...

"Yes. You have a clear grasp of the history of the world, thanks to my teachings, so I have no concern when it comes to you passing the written test. However, the physical exam is a different game entirely. You know nothing of the process, and have had absolutely zero experience training. If you plan to participate, I'd like to do everything I can in order to keep you from dying."

Naruto's heart skipped a beat. Everything he had insisted on never happening, was happening, and he was excited. However, the excitement only came from the idea of being able to follow his friends and participate in missions like Mr. Hatake. He still felt incredibly apprehensive about actual training. The fighting part made him uncomfortable. He hadn't done too bad at sparring with Sasuke that one time, but this was going to be far more difficult than that. Back then he had no plans to improve himself, to prepared for potentially killing someone or being killed. This time, he would be preparing for the worst. From what he had been told already, he understood what he would need to accomplish in order to succeed, and he found a new resolve in himself to do it.

"Teach me, Mr. Hatake, please! You're the best at stealth! It's your specialty, isn't it? That's why they send you on recon missions like, all the time! You've got to teach me! Please!" At this point Naruto had made his way over to Kakashi and was shaking him by the shoulders much like the man had done to him earlier.

Kakashi's eye twitched, "alright, kid. Calm down! I already said I would help you. However, I can't promise I'll be the best teacher."

Naruto grinned widely, "Okay, that's good enough for me!" He dropped his hands and walked down the hall to change for work, leaving Kakashi in the living room alone. The older man noticed the new spring in the boy's step. He smirked, happy to see such a change from the previous night. He just hoped when the reality of how difficult and gruesome the situation get could, it didn't knock him off his feet completely.

Naruto excited his room quickly, pulling jacket sleeves over his arms as he grabbed his eyes and made his way to the door.

"I highly advise that you keep all of this from your friends" Kakashi said firmly.

The boy stopped with his hands on the door handle, "why? They will be so happy, and they'll stop being angry with me..."

Kakshi frowned, "I understand that, but imagine the amount of pressure you'll start getting from them, especially Sasuke, when they find out you're training? They will want to be there every single time you practice, they will harass you nonstop. It would be because they care about you, but it wouldn't help you. Not only that, but you and I have some things we need to discuss and work through before we start this. Your situation, it isn't...I need to do some research while you work today."

The boy nodded, slightly disappointed, and the two left the apartment.

Walking carefully on the snow and ice, Kakashi continued. "Agree to these terms, or I won't help you. If I find out you've told anyone about what has happened the past twelve hours, I will put a stop to all of this" he said gravely. Naruto wasn't sure if the man simply meant not letting him train under any circumstances, or something worse. The look in Kakashi's eye made him uncomfortable.

"Yes sir."

They continued together down the path to his meet up spot with Sasuke. The boy looked at the ground, watching snow and ice crunch under his shitty work boots. He had so much to process and so little time to do it. He felt overwhelmed, anxious even. It was a feeling he wasn't used to.

"Today after work, go straight to your apartment. I'll be there with a plan on how to get this whole thing started."

Naruto nodded.

"Not a word, Naruto. Understand?"

"Yes. I get it. I won't say anything."

"Hm" the man nodded and disappeared into thin air just as Sasuke was coming into view, standing under a light post on the corner.

"Hey man!" Naruto waved, running the rest of the way.

Sasuke smiled, "Hey, how was the rest of your night? You look beat." Both boys continued their trek to work together.

"It was... It was fine! I had some pretty crazy dreams that kept waking me up, but that's about it." This was true. The dreams didn't make any sense to him, but they were enough to continuously keep him from falling into a deep sleep.

Sasuke nodded, "The storm is what kept me awake mostly. So many trees got hit with lightening, it seemed like more than usual. Did you notice that?"

Naruto thought back to the one directly outside his apartment that set to light during his conversation with Mr. Hatake. "Yeah, there was one right outside my apartment. It was actually pretty close to the window."

"You know, they say when lightening strikes that frequently, it's a bad omen that death is coming!" Sasuke said creepily.

Naruto laughed and shoved the boy, "I don't believe in that stuff! I'm surprised you do!

"Oh no, fuck that. It's just something I've heard in class. It sounds like a load of shit to me" he chuckled. "I'm sorry about yesterday. What Sakura said was terrible, and my comment wasn't any better. I'm sure she didn't mean it, she gets hot headed like you and stuff just comes spewing out without thought. I'm sure everything will work out fine" he smirked.

Naruto was quiet for a moment. He was tired of all the drama that had gone on lately. It was growing more intense each day and he wanted a change of pace. He needed it.

Suddenly Naruto ran ahead, but carefully so he didn't bust his ass. He made a small jump over a curb and then continued by skidding down a large hill. "If I beat you to work, you have to go into town and buy us lunch during break!" Naruto called behind him.

"There's no way for you to actually make me do that!" Sasuke called back as he also began his decent down the hill.

Naruto laughed loudly, and felt the weight in his chest lift a little as the wind blew in his face. This was normal. This was how things were supposed to be. They did skating races down hills daily when they were kids, but hadn't done it in a very long time. Being able to think about their innocent pasts, that didn't involve tragic things like what could be in their future, was something to be thankful for.

Sasuke quickly passed him, bumping into him slightly to knock him off path. Naruto pouted for a moment before he started again.

"Hurry up, loser! I hope you have money for our lunch, because you're gonna get left behind!" Sasuke joked loudly.

After a few more unfortunate mishaps on Naruto's part, he ended up having to pay for lunch. Which he bitched about the entire morning.

As they ate that afternoon, seated comfortably under the shade of a tree, Naruto people watched. He never really paid any attention to active class members, those who had plans and trained to move into the Upper Level. He simply knew who could do the heavy lifting best, and who the few medics were on the site. Injuries weren't entirely uncommon in this kind of job, especially if a Brute pushed himself too hard and ended up breaking something. Depending on the pressure of the movement or simply the weight they were carrying, they could easily shatter bones. Brutes were without a doubt the strongest class, but they weren't invincible.

Naruto observed from afar as a medic tended to a worker's wound. The wrist didn't appear broken, but there was likely some deep bruising. It was obvious the medic was struggling to keep up a consistent flow of healing energy, meaning they were likely a category one Regenerator class. The bruise didn't seem to be healing quickly or maybe even at all. Naruto watched as another person walked over, sat next to the medic and placed a hand over their's, increasing and stabilizing the flow. He had to be a category two, possibly higher. Regardless, the pained look on the Brute's face was disappearing and the cat one medic seemed relieved. Naruto smiled.

A loud crack nearby startled him. Looking over at a different section of the site, he saw two large men taking down giant trees with seemingly no effort. They were laughing and chatting with each other as one would chop completely through the tree in one swing of the ax. The other then held onto it to keep it from falling, and tossed it on a neat pile building up nearby.

Naruto felt like up until today, he had been blind. For so long he had been fighting to keep the idea of people having all of these capabilities and potential out of his mind. He didn't want to face the fact he wasn't going to be following any of them to Upper Level, so he pretended none of it existed. He forced himself to think nothing of it when a Brute broke his leg, and a Regenerator would walk over and have it fixed in mere moments. He ignored the fact that there were people walking around holding large, thick trees or rocks on their shoulders effortlessly. He looked over the fact that there were people chopping through smaller tree trunks with absurd accuracy and speed. Things were different for him now, and would continue to be from now on. Naruto saw all of it, and he was amazed.

"What have you been staring at?" Sasuke asked, breaking his train of thought. "You haven't even started eating yet and we don't have much time left in our break. You good?"

He nodded quickly, taking a bite of the sandwich he'd gotten from town. "I'm good! Everyone just seems to be working really well today. Super productive" he said with food in his mouth.

Sasuke scanned the work site, "I don't really notice anything different - oh shit!" he stopped eating and froze as he looked up the mountain.

"LANDSLIDE!" someone yelled loudly. Everyone started running.

It happened occasionally, due to all of the water. The water from rain and then it freezing over, only to be quickly melted and evaporated by the afternoon sun tended to shift things over time. If they were working in a hilly area, they were always anticipating this kind of thing, but they could never truly predict when it would happen.

Large rocks tumbled and flew down the hill at a more alarming speed than usual. In previous cases most of the less powerful members we able to run to the left or right far enough to get out of the way, while the stronger stayed behind to block their site from receiving too much damage. This was not one of those cases.

Those less capable of protecting themselves ran as quickly as they could, but it was obvious they would never make it completely out of the way in time. The stronger Brutes ran without hesitation towards the falling rocks and dirt. Naruto and Sasuke shot up from their spots under the tree and took off in different directions.

The ground was trembling horribly, and everyone was struggling to stay on their feet. Many people had fallen over and were now huddled in terrified groups, incapable of getting their feet underneath them to move some place safer. Naruto locked his eyes on to a particular group and ran for it. He knew he wasn't the strongest, but he was on his feet at least and would help them get somewhere safer than on the ground on the middle of the fucking site. Ideally they would be able to find a strong enough Brute to help them.

A particularly loud thud was heard to his left. He turned quickly to see a large boulder, about the height of his body. He couldn't get out of the way in time, he wasn't quick enough. He felt stuck, and the small group a few yards away who were screaming for him to move didn't help his nerves. He was going to be crushed, taken down by a rock of all things, only to be suffocated in the large pile at the base of the hill. His mind went blank in terror, and his body reacted on its own.

Steadying himself, he pulled back his right arm and clinched his hand into a tight fist. The skin on his hand and forearm tightened uncomfortably and grew warm. Gritting his teeth he put all of his strength into his arm and collided with a boulder. It hurt. God it hurt. It felt like his arm was on fire and his shoulder made a sickly cracking sound. His eyes lit up when he watched as his hit caused the intimidating, earthly weapon to crumple into small pieces in mid air. The dirt hit his eyes making him duck his head quickly and cover his face.

He right arm hung loosely at his side, continuing to burn and ache along with his shoulder. He wiped the dirt from his eyes on his left arm, heart beating harder than he had ever experienced. What the hell just happened? He'd seen several people do that at the site when landslides occurred, but it was never his job to do it. He had never done anything like that in his entire fucking life. He looked down at his throbbing arm and winced, some major damage had been done. Nearby screams snapped him out of his thoughts.

Trying to support and keep an injured arm from being jostled while running on trembling grounds was basically impossible, but he tried his best, and made his way over to the group.

He crouched in front of them. They seemed rather young, possibly new to the job. They reminded Naruto of when he was little, looking absolutely terrified and not knowing what to do. Which is pretty much how he felt now, he was just better at hiding it.

"Are you guys okay? Are any of you injured?" he yelled over the loud crashing. They all shook their heads no.

He nodded and then stood shakily, looking for a stronger person to help get these guys, and himself, to safety. There was no way he had another one of those punches in him, he was more exhausted than he had ever felt. Plus, even if he did, both of his arms would be useless and then what? He looked up the hill towards where the stronger people were, and froze.

A few of them were looking back apologetically and with terror, and to Naruto's disappointment, sadness. Likely one of the largest rocks Naruto had seen in his life was heading right for them. It was large enough that it was also going to collide with a few others nearby as well. The Brutes up front had been so overwhelmed by the number of falling objects, they must have missed this one somehow. That meant Naruto and the others were about to obliterated, and there was nothing those up front could do to help.

Naruto looked back at the people behind him, who were going to meet the same fate he knew was coming for him. Naruto didn't shut his eyes or cry, he thought that if he was going to die, he wouldn't do it looking like a little bitch. He sighed, blowing air out through his mouth slowly to calm his nerves and heart rate the best he could. He looked at the small group by his feet, and gave them the most calming smile he could muster.

A flash of black caught the corner of his eye, and suddenly the ground beneath him sunk in at least a foot or two, causing him to fall flat on his ass.

Looking up he saw a familiar mess of dark hair, holding his hands out to produce a transparent red barrier, protecting them from the falling rocks. Large and small. Naruto looked around quickly, noting that the other nearby would-be victims were also protected by this same barrier. He let out a huge sigh of relief, beyond thankful he had a cat four Brute for a friend.

"What the fuck, Naruto?! You know you're supposed to move when a huge ass rock is coming down to kill you, right?!" Sasuke looked down at him out of the corner of his eye, continuing to hold up the wall. More and more rocks were plummeting down the hill, and each time a larger one hit the barrier, Sasuke, and Naruto since he was right by his feet, sunk farther into the ground due to the pressure.

"Can you keep this up?!" Naruto yelled over the loud crashing noises.

"I'm fine, just keep your heads down!"

Naruto complied, relaying the same message to the others.

After a few moments another especially large boulder came down, and Sasuke's barrier took a direct hit. The ground sunk in farther. Naruto heard a loud snap near his head, and a yell from Sasuke above. Naruto looked to where the sound came from and saw a bone protruding from Sasuke's right ankle, which he was eye level with. He turned pale and began to feel nauseous.

"Fuck! When will this end!" Sasuke cried out. Naruto was hoping for soon, because the broken bone in Sasuke's ankle was getting worse. The boy's foot was rolled on its side, and Naruto was sure that a lot of Sasuke's weight was being put on the protruding bone now instead. Naruto tried not to puke.

Sasuke had his eyes shut tight, putting all his focus on keeping the barrier up. If his determination or focus wavered too much, it would come down and they would all be royally fucked.

"It's stopping! Here comes the last rock!" Naruto yelled.

It struck, and Sasuke grunted. Thankfully it wasn't the largest one he'd had to protect them from. Sasuke dropped along with the barrier, moaning in pain and too afraid to look at the damage to his ankle. Instead he looked at Naruto.

"Is it bad?" he asked, breathing heavily.

Naruto didn't dare look again. He just smiled at his friend, "it looks fine, you did great."

Sasuke glared, "you're an idiot and a terrible liar" he grumbled.

Sitting up and waving over a medic, Naruto chuckled, "yeah, yeah I know. Thanks, Sasuke."

The boy grunted, letting his eyes close. His eyebrows furrowed in pain.

Naruto looked down at his arm, curious more than he was worried by the damage at this point. His eyes widened.

"Oh good!" the young medic said happily as she ran up to the two boys, "you're a Regenerator! That's great. Can you heal others? I'll need some help."

Continuing to stare at his arm, he shook his head. He had absolutely no clue what he could and could not do.


End file.
